Motion picture camera



May 21, 1940. M. A. DALOTEL MOTION PICTURE CAMERA 2 Sheets-Sheet l FiledApril 22, 1958 on A v uw May 21,' 11940- l M. A. DALOTEI. 2,201,88-6

MOTION PICTURE CAMERA Filed April 22, 1938 Z'Sheets-Sheet 2 l u umPatented May 21, 194e PATENT AoI-FICE ascisse MOTION PICTURE CAMERA.Maurice Albert palmi, neun, France Application April ,22, 1938, SerialNo. 203,667

,In France April 22, m37 y 1 claim. (o1. ss-r) 'Ihe present inventionrelates to a motion picture camera which is particularly applicable tothe devices called cinematograph machine guns and which are intended forchecking firing 5 exercises in which movable objectives are used, inparticular aeroplanes. 'I'he invention has in particular for itsobjectAto provide a camera of small bulk which is simple to manipulateand in particular requires only a small number of op- 0 erations forplacing in position and removing the nlm. It has already been proposedfor this purpose to use cameras provided `with a loader containing theunexposed film spool and a spool for winding the exposed lm, theconnection of the 5 actuating membe'rs of the rcamera which cause theillm to unwind and wind with the corresponding members of the loaderbeing effected automatically when the latter is placed in position.However, in such cameras, it is necessary o when the loader has beenplaced in positionto place the film in contact with the actuatingmembers, in p1 rticular with a toothed drum, which are secured to theapparatus itself.

lihe apparatus which is the object of the in- ;5 ventina belongs to thislatter type of loader, and it is characterized. by the fact that theloader comprises onthe one hand e. magazine box con-a taining the twospoois for the unexposed film and the esed `dim and provided with twoslots m ier the outlet and the inlet oi the film, and on the other hande, toothed output drum controll the unwinding ci the nim, said outputdrum together `with the l oi the mae bon on which the exposed hlm windsbein@ Supported by fixed l5 bushes secured to the ioader and fittingloosely over likewise dried bushes which are secured to the camera andinside which are lodged the rotasting transverse ve shafts with whichthe output drum and the winding spool are made to w rotate integrally atthe instant when the loader is introduced 'into the camera.

@wing to this arrangement of the output drum in the loader, the operatorwill only have to inw trorluce it into the camera. without having totouch the rlllrn, a tact which" forms a very oon-l siderablesimplification oi the movement of the camera.

BY Way of example an embodiment of the 56 camera which is the objectofthe invention has.

been describedhereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawingsr:

Fig. l is a view in sectional elevation, partly broken away, of thecamera provided with its 55 loader.l p

Fig. 2 /is a horizontal section along the chain dotted line I--IIoI Fig.l,l g

" Figs. 3 'and 4 are transverse sections thereof respectively along thelines III-III and IV-IV o0 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows an elevation oi' a constructions! detail of the camera.

The camera shown in the drawings comprises a box I separated intothreecompartments (Flu.

1) by two transverse partitions 2 and 2, the rear 5 compartmentcontaining a motor I which is either electric or clockwork, whereas thefront compartment which is mounted on the body of the box I by means ofa hinge 5, contains the objective and the members which are described l0in detail hereinafter and which control the shutter and the feed of theillm. vThe central com-'- partment is furthermore divided by alongitudinal 'partition 6 into two chambers one of which is adapted toreceive the loader l1 andthe other l5 of which contains the maintransmission shaft 8 which is driven Aby the motor 4.

The loader 1 is formed by two boxes 1'; 1" which have opposite ends andlit into each other, the inner box 1" being provided at the front with20 a bushing 9 which fits on to a transverse bushing IIl secured to thelongitudinal partition B of the. case I, an output drum il provided withteeth I2 corresponding' to the periorations of the hlm be. ing looselymounted on said bushing 9 which is g5 fixed to the box 1" or the loader.In the rear part of the loader 'i is arranged a magazine box I3 formedlike the loader by two parts i3, I2 fitting into each other, the innerpart i3" carrying on its end on the one hand a spindle It 3o (Fig. l) onwhich is loosely mounted the unexposed film spool it, and on the otherhand a bushing IS (Fig. 2). fitting over a bushing i1 'secured to thepartition 6 oi the case I and pene trating into the loader through anopening pro- 35 vlded in the end ci the part 1" of said loader. On thebushing I6 oi the magazine box is loosely mounted La spool id on whichthe exposed nlm winds.

The-output drum ii and the winding spool I8 0 for the film are rotatedby transverse drive shafts I9, 20 which rotate respectively inside thebushes ,l0 and I1 which are fixed on the longitudinal partition 8 andare themselves driven by the main longitudinal drive shaft 8 through"the inter- 45 `m'ediary of worms 2l, 22 and pinions 23, 2l. The

coupling of the output drum II and of the winding spoolv I8 with theshafts` I9 and 20 which drive them is veffected by means of transversegroovesiprovided at the upper end of said shafts in the manner of screwheads and in which are adapted to .engage bars 25, 26 xed across thebores of the drum II and of the spool I8. The

` worm 2| meshing with the pinion 23 which is fast on the drive shaft I9of the output drum 55 `II is secured to a bush 21 which is fast on thetransmission shaft 8, whereas the bush 28 carrying the worm 22 whichdrives the actuating shaft 20 of the winding spool, is loosely mountedon the shaft 8 to which lit issecured by means of a irico tion deviceformed by a leather or nbre disc 29 lagainst which the bush 28 is heldby a spring 3|) which bears on an adjustable abutment 3I, the slippingof said friction device enabling an automatic variation of the speed ofrotation of the winding spool I8 to be obtained proportionally to thetension of the film which .depends on the amount of film wound on` saidspool.

The unexposed film of the spool I issues from the magazine box I3through a calibrated slit' 32, engages on the output drum Il on which itis held by presser rollers 33, 33', then engages, after having formed aloop, in the guide passage formed by a plate 34 arranged in front of awindow 35 provided in the double wall 1', 1 of the loader and in thepartition 3. The guide plate 34 for the film is resiliently fixed on thepartition 3 by means of springs 36, 36', and the rear part of the lensmounting 31 which is arranged in the front compartment of the camerapivoting on the hinge 5, penerates on closing into the window 35and'presses on the guide plate 34, which causes the centre of theobjective to be located always at the same distance from the filmwhatever play there may be in the closure. As it issues from the guidepassage 34, the film forms a. fresh loop, engages on the output drum IIthen Ire-enters the magazine box I3 through a second slit 38 and isfinally wound on the spool I8.

The discontinuous feed of the film in the guide passage is controlled.by a cla-w 39 (Figs. 2 and 4) the method of driving which will bedescribed in detail hereinafter, and which -penetrates into the loaderthrough a small opening 50. The hinged front compartment of the case Iof the camera has a transverse partition 40 serving for supporting theshaft 4I of a shutter 42 (Figs. 2 and 3) which is arranged Ibehindy saidpartition, and also an intermediate shaft 43 carrying a pinion 44meshing on the one hand with a pinion 45 fast on the end of the maintransmission shaft 8, and on the other hand with a pinion 46 fast on theshaft 4I of the shutter, the whole of this group of 'pinions beingenclosed in a case 41.

Between the partitions 3 and 40 of the front compartment of the camera,is arranged the actuating mechanism for the iilrn feed claw 39 whichcomprises the following members: the claw 39 is supported -by a part 48(Figs. 1 and 4) the bent over ends 4.8', 48 ,of which are hinged on avertical shaft 49 which is pivoted at its ends in bearings 5I, 5I. Apart 52 formed by a plate that is bent over at its ends 52252" which fitover the ends 48', 48" of the support 48 of the claw 39, is so mountedthat it can move vertically along the shaft 49. For this purpose, thepart 52 is provided at its lower end with a fork 53 (Fig. 4) in which isengaged a finger 54 of a cam-plate 55 fast on the transmission shaft 8,this device thus enabling the reciprocating movement of the claw 39 tobe obtained. In order to obtain the engagement of said claw with theperforations of the 'film when said claw is in its high position and thedisengagement of same when it is in its low position, the cam-plate isprovided on its side with aY sinusoidal groove 56 (Fig. 2) in whichengages the end of a vertical rod 51 which is secured to'a part 58pinned on the shaft 49, said vertical rod being in engagement with afork 59 of the support 48 of the claw 39. When the shaft 8 and the cam55 rotate, the vertical rod 51 undergoes an alternating translatorymovement and consequently imparts to the support 48 of the claw anoscillatory movement about the vertical shaft 49, so that it suffices toset the actuating iinger 34 suitably relatively to the sinusoidal groove56 on the plate 55 in order to obtain the engagement and thedisengagement of the claw 39 at the required instants.

The camera according to the invention is furthermore provided with adevice which enables the camera to be stopped always in a position inwhich the shutter is open, so as to separate the successive sets ofpictures corresponding to different rounsof firing by a black picture onthe film. Said stopping device comprises a plate 60 which is providedwith a plurality of notches 6I, 6I etc., and is driven -by thetransmission shaft 8 through the intermediary of the worm 2I and thepinion 23 which is secured to said plate. An electromagnet .64 isarranged above the plate 60 in such a manner that its plunger can engagein one of'the notches 6l when the electromagnet is de-energized. I'heplate 60 is so set on the pinion 23 that at the instant when the shutteropens, one of the notches 6I comes opposite the plunger 65 of theelectromagnet 64. The energization circuit Aof the electromagnet 64 iscontrolled lby the same switch as the driving motor 4 of the camera, sothat the interruption of the current supplying the motor causes theplunger 65 to fall and consequently the camera to be locked with theshutter open.

The plate 60 or the plunger 65 are mounted resiliently on their supportsso as to prevent a violent shock when stopping.

Of course, the camera which has just been described may be completed,without exceeding the scope of the invention, by improvements of detailthat are known in motion picture cameras or more particularly inphoto-machine guns. In particular a picture counter may be added and achronometer which is .photographed in known manner on each of thepictures of the film.

What I claim is:

A motion picture camera, particularly applicable for cinematogra-phmachine guns comprising a hinged front compartment provided with anobject lens mounting protruding rearwardly from said compartment, and acentral compartment adapted to receive a magazine box which is pushedlaterally into said central compartment and provided in its front wallwith a window.

opposite said object lens and with a spring pressed plate mounted insidethe magazine box in front of said window and forming the guide passagefor the film,` the rear end of the object lens mounting extending, whenthe hinged front compartment of the camera is closed, through the Windowof the magazine box so as to press against said guideplate, whereby thedistance between the centre of the object lens and the lm is keptconstant, said magazine 1box further containing on one hand a tightlyclosed casing for the two spools of unexposed film and exposed film,and, on the other hand, a toothed driving drum for unwinding theunexposed film and located outside the casing, two bushings transverselylocated in the loader to which they are rigidly-secured and supportingthe driving drum and the spool of exposed nlm, two bushings secured tothe camera and on which the first named bushings are loosely fitted,rotating shafts lodged within said bushings secured to the camera andmeans 4whereby said drum and `spool are automatically coupled with saidrotating shafts.

. MAURICE ALBERT DALOTEL.

